About Roberts Repair
Roberts Repair is a full service, independent, automotive repair facility. We are like the Marines, we are looking for a few good customers. Although we specialize in Emergency Vehicles, we are equipped for and capable of servicing most automotive vehicles and equipment built in this century or the last.
Our Core Principles
Our first concern is the reputation of Roberts Repair.
Our goal is to perform service that provides the customer with the necessary confidence that their vehicle is durable and dependable.
We will do the above while maintaining fairness to all with whom we are associated, including our customer, our vendors, our employees, and our community.
We must accomplish all the above while generating a financial profit.
We will NOT compromise the first three for the fourth one.
Unique in the Industry
Numerous
Certifications
Professional
Writing
Exam
Writers
Years of
Mastery
Flexible
Scheduling
Wide
Coverage
Mobile
Service
Technician
Instruction
Our Team
Kevin Roberts
CEO & Owner
Kevin Roberts was the second of seven children raised on a farm in central Wisconsin and he discovered early on that he got along better with the equipment than with the animals. His favorite chores where using and servicing the tractors, trucks, cars, and farm equipment. His favorite work place was in the shop, organizing the tools and equipment, and figuring out what made things work. He credits his 8th grade science teacher with instilling in him a confidence that mechanical things were understandable if you were committed to reading and willing to take them apart (as well a put them back together).
After high school, he worked in construction in the city of Milwaukee, starting out as a laborer and becoming a union Bricklayer through a Joint Apprenticeship opportunity. By the end of his six years in the industry he was a commercial jobsite foreman for the masonry contractor that employed him. (He also helped maintain and repair the construction equipment as needed)
The next six years were spent as maintenance director for Crescent Lake Bible Camp. It was this position that brought him to Rhinelander Wisconsin. He was in charge of a maintenance crew that often consisted of just himself, maintaining 30 plus buildings, multiple vehicles and pieces of equipment. He loved the work and the people he became friends with. It was here he met his wife.
When it was time to start a family, Kevin wanted a career that provided not only a steady income, but the opportunity to spend time with that family. He purchased a plot of land that had a house and shop in close proximity, spent some time making the shop usable, and opened for business. The freedom to walk home for lunch with his children was all it was hoped to be. Three boys and a girl later he is often found talking about his remarkable children.
After doing so, he was invited to attend the EVTCC Validation Conference to take part as a volunteer committee member in the test development process. He has worked with them almost every year since, becoming a committee chairman and in 2015, joining the board of directors.
In 2005 he was invited to a Police Fleet Expo, the first of several and was given the opportunity to write a series of articles for the Police Fleet Manager Magazine. This continued until 2010 when he served as an adjunct instructor for Nicolet Technical College and was unable to devote the necessary time to writing. These articles are archived at Hendon Media Group.
In late 2012 he was approached by CarQuest Technical Institute about becoming a trainer of automotive technicians. He had been attending the classes offered by CTI for well over a decade and with a certain amount of trepidation accepted the offer. This has continued since and he has regular regions in Mississippi, Arkansas, Illinois, and southern Wisconsin. He also leads individual classes as needed across the country.
Since 2014 he has produced and delivered Ambulance Training for California, Oregon, and Colorado Fire Mechanics associations. These are usually 4 or 5 days of instruction that cover all areas of ambulance service and include both lecture and hands on training.
In 2018 the EVTCC Board elected him to succeed Steve Wilde as President.
Katherine Huntzinger
Office Manager
Katherine Huntzinger descended on the office in 2015, boldly taking charge as no one has before. Previously she worked in purchasing and inventory for other companies. She likes to say she has her BS degree in accounting from FU (Bachelor of Science from Franklin University). Her hobby is cooking.
Kerry Roberts
Technician
Kerry Roberts has been with us since October of 1996. Before this he worked in a tool and die shop for several years. His specialties are vehicle maintenance (he’s very particular about checklists) and heavy truck repair. He has multiple Master ASE certifications, Master Ambulance EVT, and several Fire Apparatus EVT certifications. He has been known to stop in at customer locations on the way to work (on his own time) just to make sure the fleet was road ready. (He is a driver favorite) His hobby is metal-working with his lathe.
Scott Breitzman
Shop Assistant
Scott Breitzman is our go-to all-around take care of things guy. He maintains the plethora of equipment in the shop, makes parts runs both local and out of town, and is an extra hand whenever the Techs need one.
Our History
Roberts Repair Inc was started by Kevin Roberts on January 1st, 1989. After 6 years in the construction industry in Milwaukee and 6 more years as the director of maintenance at a northern Wisconsin summer camp, Kevin married and began a family. His determination was to be able to spend quantity as well as quality time with his children. It was clear that construction wouldn’t work to that end but fixing cars and trucks might. He found a property just outside of Rhinelander that had both a house and shop that he could afford. This gave him a place to work and since the house was walking distance from the shop, he had the time with his kids that he wanted.
Kevin was the lone Technician for the first few years, times were lean but progress was consistent. He developed a reputation for being able to work on all the unusual things that other shops avoided. He serviced propane engines, farm tractors, and construction equipment. He was able to perform fabrication in his weld shop. When ambulance customers came calling it was time to attain certification status. He took and passed the ASE Automobile tests to achieve Master Automobile Technician status and then took the truck tests to achieve Master Truck Technician status. He added L-1 and L-2 Advanced Gas and Diesel Diagnosis Certifications as well. He began attending emergency vehicle maintenance conferences where he learned that the Emergency Vehicle Technicians Certification Commission provided a path to certification in addition to the ASE certifications. He took advantage of the opportunity to achieve Master Ambulance Technician status and also passed several of the Fire Apparatus certification tests.
After achieving Master Ambulance status, Kevin was asked to join the EVT validation conference to help develop the certification tests. After many years working on the Ambulance Track as both a committee member and chairman, he was asked to join the EVTCC Board of Directors. In 2012 he was approached by CTI (CarQuest Technical Institute) and asked if he would be willing to become a trainer. Since he had been attending CTI classes for around a dozen years, he was familiar with the quality of training that CTI offered. This would prove to be one of his biggest challenges since he would be leading classes all over the Midwest with attendees that had as much or more experience as he did. Today he balances his time in the shop with time on the road. Since each (training and working in the shop) is a break from the other, he says it is like being on vacation all the time. It is hard work but immensely satisfying.
Roberts Repair has grown into two locations. A larger facility in Rhinelander was procured in 1996 and true to form he built a house on the same property. In 2010 Roberts Repair expanded into an additional facility located in Marathon City Wisconsin. This allows them to better service the customer to the south. Since Roberts Repair services vehicles in a 100-mile radius, having the southern location is a great advantage.
Roberts Repair employs 5 Technicians including Kevin and has 2 people in the office to keep track of things. He has provided experience for both high school and college interns and usually hires a helper for the added workload in the summer.
1989
Founded
1989
1990
Fleet Customers
1996
Ambulances
1996
1996
New Location
2002
EVTCC
2002
2008
Committee Chairman
2012
CTI
2012
2014
California Fire Mechanics Academy
2014
Board of Directors
2014
2016
NFPA
2018
Presidency
2018
